My cwn tulip bed captured on the best foggy English morning I could capture.

My would-be awesome iris bed, if the rhizomes weren't so far apart.

Inspired By . . . Charlie McCormick's Garden.

I'm not sure when I've been so obsessed with a garden. I mean, I really love gardens, I do. But, they do have to be pretty spectacular to grab my attention. But, Charlie McCormick's garden is so extrardinary it literally takes my breath away.

My sweet husband is an avid gardener and a regular American Monty Don at that. He's been slowly upping his garden game with every episode of Gardener's World he streams. And, I taunt him regularly with McCormick's Instagram feed.

Charlie's garden has the most amazing tulip beds. And, just when you thought that tulips were your favorite, here come the irises. And, then, the crown jewel, the dahlias, especially late into the Fall, will stop you dead in your tracks.

I just can't take it! I need just a little smidgen of that.

So . . . we have thrown down the gauntlet and planted some 800 tulips in the bed next to our back lawn. Take that Charlie McCormick!!

I had maybe a week of full flush of smug pride knowing that I had just planted the most bomb-ass tulip bed in, like, forevs when Charlie posted an Insta story planting his own tulip bulbs. And, just like that my pride deflated. You would not believe how close he plants his bulbs! There is literally no space -- he packs them tight against each other!!! He probably has 800 tulip bulbs squeezed into less than 4' square. It would literally take 2- or 3,000 bulbs to do that in our bed. (Charlie!! Charlie bit my finga!!! Waaa!!!).

Watch your back, tho, Charlie. We're coming for your dahlias next, and this time, we mean business!!! My husband's greenhouse arrives next week and then, I really mean it . . .it's going to be game on!!

I've included some of the jawdripping gorgegeousness you can find at www.mccormick.london.com and @mccormickcharlie on Insta and a couple of pics of my own tulip bed, captured on the most British of foggy mornings, and our iris beds, with all the little rizomes (clearly planted waaaaay too far apart) for your enjoyment. I will post more pics into the Winter and Spring and we can do some side by side comparisons of Charlie's bomb-ass beds and my own humble offering.